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Artsy things and inspiration

Posted by BradErkkila on February 13, 2012

Google has pushed me down so many rabbit holes lately. I’m doing some lite research for a possible independent comic book I’m thinking of producing, and I always end up finding so much great art. I left myself a trail of digital bread crumbs from these inspirational sites. I’ll manage to find my way back to my own work somehow!

Alan Ryan’s ongoing masterpiece has been a favourite of mine for quite some time. I checked in on Faraday and his buds today and found a fresh helping of this beautifully rendered gem. Alan’s the best in the biz. His writing is as sharp as his visuals. A constant inspiration! So much so that I made him a guest strip as a thanks for all the greatness!

I’ve got a kid coming soon and I would greatly enjoy writing him a grand story such as this. These grade school super kids tap into that childhood whimsy we all had. A time when tying a blanket around your neck made you the most powerful being alive! David Halvorson has produced some expressive characters that populate diverse and dynamic panel layouts. A thing of beauty.

Mad Magazine made me want to start drawing as a kid. It wasn’t comic books or cartoons. Truth be told, I was never really that into comics outside of that time in the early 90’s when everyone was. It was artists like Sergio Aragones and Mort Drucker that sparked my interest. I drew my own Spy vs. Spy cartoons. My parents always tossed a few issues of Mad in my Christmas stocking. With the Mad Blog, I found an inking tutorial by Tom Richmond that ‘outlines’ (wocka wocka) the inking techniques used when creating those unique, satirical pieces of art.

Perhaps I'll start with a short introduction. My name is Brad Erkkila. I'm a professional Graphic Designer located in Toronto, Canada. My experience spans the last 10 years in various mediums.